Lose 10 pounds (15?). Finally quit smoking. Travel to exotic far-off lands. Be less stressed. Yes, these are among the most commonly-broken New Year’s Resolutions. Hey, stuff happens. We all know this. At Inquisium we’re not here to judge. But may I suggest six resolutions you should embrace for 2016? While knee-deep in the holiday season, companies fight to close out the year strong, non-profits try to balance budgets, and employers attempt to put the brakes on plummeting employee productivity. Not a lot of R&R going on in the workplace. Yes, the holiday season is a pressure cooker. Companies and organizations are trying to stand out in a cluttered marketing environment where holiday-themed promotions and experiences are everywhere and employee engagement is taking a turn to distraction town, filled with dancing elves, the latest screaming goat memes, and the giddy anticipation of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To help make the most of this season’s holiday opportunities while combating its inherent challenges, collect feedback from your two most important stakeholders—employees and customers. It will help you make sound decisions that you can implement successfully throughout the new year. Here are six types of surveys you need to start conducting at the start of 2016:
- Customer Interest Surveys – Whether you’re a B2C or B2B company, your direct and indirect competitors are likely bombarding your customers with end-of-the-year promotions, holiday discounts, and flash sales. Get the attention of your customers by offering deals they’re actually interested in. Send them a survey after the dust settles to gauge their interest and buying intent, then tailor your offers accordingly.
- Customer Service Surveys – Holiday season is the busiest time of year for many businesses. Employees are besieged by long lines and endless phone calls, while customers are feeling haggard and unusually impatient. There’s a good chance a sub-par customer interaction will occur. Quick customer service surveys that ask customers to rate their experience are a great way to address issues with problematic employees and take action to apologize to customers who felt wronged.
- Event Feedback Surveys – The calendar days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are congested with parties, galas, and charity functions. If your company or organization is hosting an event, it has to vie for attendees who are busy and possibly double booked. To make your event more appealing this year and for years to come, collect event feedback before and after your event. You’ll discover your attendees’ pre-event preferences and availability as well as how you can improve upon the event next year.
- Policy Feedback Surveys – During the holidays, employee engagement levels are notoriously low. People are busy with family obligations, shopping, vacations, and traveling. Keeping productivity up can be a struggle—especially if employees are resentful about a specific office holiday policy. Give your employees a voice when it comes to the holidays by polling them about things like vacation time, office parties, teleworking, and perks. While you won’t be able to satisfy everyone, your employees will know you value their input and are considerate of their work-life balance. In 2016 you can tailor your activities and events with your newly attained data.
- Management Reviews – The end of the year is natural time for reflection. Companies assess the fiscal year and managers assess employee performance. This is also a great opportunity for employees to review management. Giving employees a chance rate management’s performance will help you understand what your leadership can do to be more effective and better motivate employees in the coming year(s).
- Professional Development Surveys – Many organizations plan professional development activities without input from their employees. If your employees find these activities irrelevant, your organization will have squandered time, resources and an actual opportunity to help staff members grow their skill sets. January is a great time to survey employees about their goals for the upcoming year and what kind of professional development opportunities they need to reach them.
With these six resolutions, you’re on the way to a healthier, more productive 2016. Happy holidays!
